Friday, February 10, 2012

Mama's Pie Crust Recipe

In my post "10 Things I CAN Do" I mentioned that I make THE WORLD'S GREATEST PIE CRUST. I know this is true because The Hillbilly tells me so. He also tells anyone else who will listen. He will also tell you he wasn't a big fan of pie before he tasted my pie crust. It IS THE WORLD'S GREATEST PIE  CRUST.  It's my mama's recipe. It's light, it's flaky, it tastes good. So after I bragged about it, Lisa at Grandma's Briefs said that I should share the recipe. So I will. Because I aim to please. I'm cool like that.



HOWEVER...this is not a recipe blog. Never was, never will be. Therefore, the recipe is at the mercy of my desire to write in a friendly, chatty kind of voice, and you,  my faithful readers will need to pick the important recipe stuff out of the friendly, chatty stuff. I know you can do that because you're very smart. So here we go.

It's really a simple recipe. First figure out how many crusts you are making. The pie in the picture up there is a two-crust pie. Some pies, pumpkin or pecan for example, take only one crust. And then you have to know how many pies you're making and how many crusts each pie needs, and then do a bunch of math, and that tells you how many crusts you're making. I'll let you figure that out on your own.

So for each crust that you're going to make, you need 1 cup of flour. I've made as many as four crusts at a time. More than that seems unwieldy.  So you put your flour in a big mixing bowl. Then you need some shortening.

This is the trickiest part of the recipe. You MUST use Crisco shortening. If you're not going to use Crisco shortening, then just put your flour back and quit reading this recipe. I won't have you using inferior shortening and then claiming that the recipe is no good and it's not really THE WORLD'S GREATEST PIE CRUST.

Now. You've got your flour in the bowl, you've gotten rid of that store brand shortening and have Crisco in front of you. For each cup of flour, add 1/2 cup of shortening. Then sprinkle in a little salt. Not much.

Now you're going to use your pastry cutter. If you don't have one, get one. If you don't know what one is, they look like one of these:



You use the pastry cutter to cut the shortening into little bits while mixing it with the flour. Keep cutting in the shortening until it's about the size of little peas. Then stop! The worst thing you can do is over-handle the dough.

Now you need to add water. I've read all sorts of nonsense about the importance of using ice water. I've never used ice water. I use whatever comes out of the tap. For each crust that you're making, you need 1/4 cup of water. Add the water slowly and mix with the flour/shortening. As you mix the dough it should pull away from the sides of the bowl and start sticking together.

Handling the dough as little as possible, divide it into the correct number of balls for your crusts. Roll each ball into a roughly circular shape on a floured cutting board until it is big enough to fit into your pie dish. Carefully place the crust into the dish and trim the edges. For a two-crust pie, put the filling into the pie and then roll out and add the top crust. Repeat for each crust you're making.

Okay. For those who insist on having a "real" recipe, here you go.

For each pie crust you need:
1 cup of flour
1/2 cup of Crisco shortening
1/4 cup of water
a little bit of salt
 Try it out and please let me know how it works for you! Let me know if you have any questions too.

For my next post, I'll show you how to hula hoop! Won't that be exciting?








28 comments:

  1. I love how you told us the recipe in such a conversational way! Lol! I'll have to try your recipe soon. Happy SITS Day!

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    1. I hope you enjoy it! Thank you for coming by.

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  2. Yum! My mother-in-law's recipe is pretty good, too. I think, however, that she is the only one who can make it, because it uses almost no water. (She doses the water out in scrooging tablespoons. It tastes so good, but I think she glues the thing together with love.)

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    1. Yes, the water is the secret. Sometimes I use a little less depending on the weather. That part is art.

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  3. I've always heard you have to be a grandma to make good pie crust, so thanks for sharing this. I'm terrified of baking though. I suffer from pie-envy.

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  4. Oh that pie crust looks good! Thank you for sharing & happy SITS day!!!

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  5. thanks for the recipe - can't wait to make this in the fall!

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    1. Oh, try it with fresh fruits this summer! Apricot pie, peach pie, berry pie!

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  6. Happy SITS! I need to try this pie crust, because I've never been able to make a good one from scratch. I rely solely on boxed or pre-made--shameful, I know!

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    1. Let me know how it turns out after you try it!

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  7. Please forgive me if I claim that I have the best pie crust recipe. It was my grandmother's, after all.

    I do agree with all of your instructions -- especially the Crisco. Why on earth would someone buy a different kind of shortening? Silly people.

    I grew up using my mom's pastry blender. Just like the one in the picture but with wire (like a whisk) instead of blades. I wish I could find one of those. There's something about a little added nostalgia that makes things taste just a touch better. It's like magic.

    Now I want to make a pie.

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    1. My pastry cutter has the wires instead of the blades too. Once upon a time the wooden handle was red, but the paint has worn off over the years.

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  8. I am book marking this for sure. As soon as I take a break from Weight Watchers I am making this crust. Crisco? They still make that?

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    1. They still make it! I don't think it comes in a can anymore. You buy it in blocks with measurements marked on the wrapper like butter. It makes it so much easier to measure.

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  9. This sounds wonderful and easy enough. Thanks for sharing and happy SITS day!

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  10. putting this in the food I want to try folder for the next time I make a pie. It sounds really good. I usually bake cakes not pies but it has been known to happen.

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  11. One of my most popular posts is called pie dough for dummies - I could say that because I was including myself in the list :-). I love the way you wrote the recipe. The chatty style is wonderful and you included all the important details in a meaningful way. Love it!

    Happy SITS day. I hope it's been fun so far. I can't wait to have time to look around some more. It does feel like a cozy kitchen!

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    1. Excellent! I'm so glad that people are getting the mood I'm trying to create. Just have a look around and make yourself at home!

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  12. Thanks for sharing your recipe! I'm excited to try it since I'd like to do more baking! :)

    Happy SITS day!

    ~Anne
    The Saturday Evening Pot

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  13. Thanks for the recipe! I plan on making an apple pie this fall.

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  14. I love this post! "This is the trickiest part of the recipe. You MUST use Crisco shortening. If you're not going to use Crisco shortening, then just put your flour back and quit reading this recipe." I am a flogger (food blogger), so when I read that comment I laughed until I cried. You have such wit! =)

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  15. Thank you! I'm sure you agree with me about the Crisco. :)

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  16. Thanks for your recipe. For years I've followed my mother-in-law's no fail, flaky pie crust - 1 c flour, 1/4 c oil and 1/4 c ice water with a couple drops of vinegar. But I always heard you need lard (or perhaps as you suggest, crisco) for a good crust. I'm anxious to try yours.
    Hannah P.S.
    Join the fun, submit a cute photo or funny photo to my website contest. Then encourage your friends to vote and watch the results to see how many viewers vote for your photo. NO entry fee. $2,000 of prizes annually. www.FunnyPhotosContest.com.

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PLEASE leave a comment. I LIVE for comments! If you must be negative, at least be nice. I'm very sensitive. I reserve the right to remove any comment that hurts my feelings. Or anyone else's feelings. Grandma wants you all to play nice.